Review of Aliens (1986) by Ben L — 28 Oct 2014

Spoilers within this review...beware. No big surprise that I prefer Aliens over Alien since this doesn't really have a horror feel to it. Instead it is a sci-fi action movie which is a genre I enjoy a lot. I like the fact that they take some time to setup a logical reason for Ripley to get back into a dangerous situation. It works out perfectly and sets up a really great payoff when it is revealed that the corporation actually is up to its old tricks through Carter Burke and wants to harness the aliens as a weapon. One of the things I loved most in Alien was that there was more than one threat to the crew because the corporation was actually on the side of the aliens, and that continues here. However, and this is a superb twist, James Cameron takes advantage of what was established by Ash in Alien and plays with our concern that the resident android will be on the side of the corporation again (to the expense of all humans.) Then he twists that by having Bishop be the single most loyal and trustworthy "person" in the film, going out of his way to save the lives of Ripley and Newt.

Speaking of Ripley and Newt, that relationship was a nice addition to this sequel. It gave Sigourney Weaver some stronger emotional content to work with, and kept her in touch with her innocence instead of always being cold and unfeeling. The casting of the military crew is perfect, as they all seem like competent warriors but they aren't particularly bright. It was impressive that I was able to differentiate them too, since they don't get a ton of individual time on screen. Perhaps it seems a bit forced for Ripley to take control of their operation so quickly, but it seems to work with this cast of characters. By and large I find Aliens to be an excellent movie that really works well for me. Honestly, I'm not sure why this doesn't rank as one of my favorite films of all time. I have a feeling that, if I had come across this series at a younger age it would have been more meaningful. Now when I watch it, even though I do enjoy it, I start to think that some of these same ideas have been explored better in other films. It's hard to say for sure, what holds me back. I do recognize Aliens' quality, though, and it is easily my favorite in the series (although I haven't watched Prometheus yet.).